Staying Smoke-FreeWhether it’s been weeks, months or years since you quit smoking, you may still get cravings occasionally. If you slip up, here’s how to handle it:

Don’t be hard on yourself. Just because you have one or two cigarettes doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Quitting takes practice.

Stay positive. Reward yourself for times you went without smoking. Vow to deal with cravings better the next time.

Learn from a slip. Did a trigger, like drinking coffee, tempt you to have a cigarette? If so, plan to deal with it better the next time. For example, have your morning coffee at a café that doesn’t allow smoking.

Visit your doctor. If you’re not taking medication as part of your smoking cessation program, ask if one may be right for you.

Get support. Call a cessation quit line, start attending meetings or sign up for an online program.

And if you go back to smoking, it doesn’t mean you won’t successfully quit in the future.

“Sometimes it’s the right time and place [to quit], and sometimes it’s not,” says Piper.

The more times you try to kick your habit, the more you’ll learn about what it takes to stay smoke-free, she adds.

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